The mastermind of the BBC's Olympics coverage, Roger Mosey, has been appointed as the corporation's editorial director.

Mosey will report directly to the new director general, Tony Hall, in the newly created role.

His appointment to a "troubleshooter" role across news, TV and radio comes after a series of scandals that have beset the corporation.

A BBC lifer with a background in news, Mosey will be the go-to man for handling major editorial issues as they arise.

He will operate across news, TV and radio output in an attempt to address the communication failings exposed by the Pollard review into the corporation's handling of the Jimmy Savile scandal.

However, it is understood Mosey will not formally be more senior in the BBC hierarchy than James Harding, Danny Cohen or Helen Boaden, the recently appointed directors of news, TV and radio respectively.

Senior BBC insiders were keen to stress that Mosey would not be Hall's de facto deputy. The BBC has been without a deputy director general since Mark Byford left more than two years ago.

The BBC said the role would also involve planning for major events, following Mosey's role in leading its widely acclaimed coverage of the London 2012 Olympics.

It was separately announced on Tuesday that Peter Salmon, the director of BBC North, would be given additional responsibilities spanning the English regions.

Salmon, a former BBC1 controller who has overseen the move of several thousand staff from London to Salford, will be tasked with creating partnerships in major cities across England for showcase events.

Mosey and Salmon's new roles are the latest phase in a senior management reshuffle following Hall's arrival at the BBC on 2 April. In a statement, the director general said: "It is crucial that the BBC dedicates the right amount of time, skill and expertise to addressing the myriad of editorial challenges that we face across the BBC's output.

"Roger's experience in News, Sport and most recently Television make him ideally placed to fulfil such an important role as part of my management team."

Of Salmon's expanded role, Hall said: "Creating long-term relationships with local partners and more meaningful relationships with the audience is a vital part of bringing the BBC into both communities and local economy."

As its former director of sport, Mosey as in recent years overseen the BBC's coverage of the Olympics in London and previously in Beijing, as well as the 2006 football World Cup and the return of Formula One to the BBC. He formerly edited BBC Radio 4's Today programme, where he recruited presenter James Naughtie, and was head of television news.

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